This invention relates to a brush-beater roller for a vacuum cleaner and the like. The roller comprises an elongated body of generally rectangular cross section which is rotatably supported in a casing and connected to a drive belt pulley. The body of the roller is helically twisted about its length axis and has along its short sides, as seen in the cross section, dovetail slots intended to accommodate bristle holders or beating bars.
A brush-beater roller of the above type is known by German Application No. 2,264,546. In this known brush-beater roller the drive belt pulley is divided into two halves which, on assembly, are applied to the brush roller body from opposite sides and are then riveted or screwed together. The belt pulley is mounted in a circular groove in the roller body and has axial projections extending into dovetail slots arranged for the bristle holders in order to prevent relative turning between the belt pulley and brush-beater roller body.
However, the construction of the drive belt pulley of the above-described known roller is complex, and the assembly of the parts makes it necessary to have a pulley which is divided into two halves. Since the two halves must be later joined together on assembly, more working steps are required than if the pulley were an integral piece.
In another brush-beater construction, also of known type, the brush roller body is divided in an axial section into two symmetrical halves, with grooves for a shaft extending through the center of the roller body. Each roller half is provided with projections co-acting with milled slots or grooves in the shaft for axial guiding, and providing a non-rotatable connection between the shaft and brush roller body. On assembly, the shaft is placed in one half, and thereafter the halves are joined, for instance by means of riveting. The belt pulley in this construction also comprises two halves, each one being integral with the relevant half of the brush roller body.
The foregoing construction has the additional drawback of requiring unnecessarily many working steps upon assembly. Further, relatively accurate tolerances are required with respect to the grooves or slots for the shaft in the brush roller halves to ensure that the shaft is not jammed on assembly, and will not be exposed to incorrect load or at the very worst, become bent.
The principal object of the present invention is to remove the above drawbacks and disadvantages of the known brush-beater rollers for vacuum cleaners and provide a roller in which each brush-beater roller body and each drive belt pulley is an integral piece, and in which also the assembly of the parts is greatly simplified.
A further object of the present invention is to provide projections on the belt pulley corresponding in cross-sectional shape to the dovetail slots, and are securely held therein.
Another object of the present invention is to provide additional projections on the roller body for preventing the bristle holders from coming out of their respective dovetail slots.